With the global economy shrinking the world and the stressed economic conditions reducing the number of key players in many industries, it's becoming a necessity for companies to integrate a quality management system (QMS) into their business.
If this is new to you, a QMS is the combined operational structure, processes, procedures, resources and implementation needed to produce quality management. Quality management is defined as a combination of high quality output, in the form of goods and services, and the quality control measures that ensure such goods and services are produced consistently. In a nutshell, a quality management system ensures consistent output of quality goods and services for customer consumption.
Having a QMS in place is especially important for companies involved in manufacturing and technical sectors. Due to the increased precision the computer age has brought to manufacturing, products can be made to near perfection at a significantly lower price.
It's one thing to do what's needed to pass a company audit, it's another thing entirely to make sure a company continues to comply with set standards and adapts to new changes
But even modem technology is not free from poor quality output if not controlled properly. Companies who take the steps needed to ensure consistent quality will have a decided advantage over those who don't.
Along the supply chain in any given industry, businesses desiring to comply with a standard QMS will look for suppliers who are doing the same. It's not uncommon these days for vendors to lose a bid, or be excluded from the bid process altogether, due to the lack of a quality management system at their end.
The medical field is another area where quality management is an absolute necessity. Government regulations are constantly changing to ensure the health and safety of the general public.
Yet without a QMS in place, adapting to these rapid changes becomes a daunting task for even the best companies. What's more, if quality standards are not met in the manufacturing of drugs and medical devices, it can land a company in hot water.
One example of a quality management system is the International Organisation for Standardisation's ISO 9000 family of standards. ISO 9001 implements a set of procedure across the entire spectrum of a company's activity including effective monitoring of production methods, the implementation of record keeping, improving the effectiveness of individual processes, and consistent checking of output for defects. Companies which successfully complete an ISO audit are allowed to publicly declare they are ISO certified.
There are a few other quality management systems on the market, but those offered by the Organisation for Standardisation are by far the most used around the world. For companies desiring to compete in the global marketplace, every advantage is needed to stay with the competition.
That includes not only implementing a quality management system, but also sticking with it. It's one thing to do what's needed to pass a company audit, it's another thing entirely to make sure a company continues to comply with set standards and adapts to new changes.
As the global economy continues to evolve, we may reach a point where QMS certification is a requirement for survival. Only time will tell.
